Hello, this is J.D. Frey, and you’re listening to The Why and How of Podcasting. I have the opportunity to work with people from a lot of different disciplines, backgrounds, and businesses… and this week came an interesting question about portable podcasting equipment. My advice on equipment a bit later, but first, why the need?

We talked last week about not having your own computer and using a cheap tape recorder to record yourself for a podcast, but in this case, the “why” for the person that asked me this question is… onsite hobby expert interviews. You can’t always be in your studio or next to your computer when you’re podcasting… and sometimes you don’t want to be. So, what’s your hobby? You know, something you do in your spare time? For fun? Is there a podcast out there about it? Do you listen to it? Do you like it? Think about those questions and then think about what you would want out of a podcast about your hobby. Maybe you’re just the person to do it? Consider the frat pack tribute podcast that talks about the movies and news around actors like Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, and other members of the frat pack. What about Whiteroof Radio… about a car… a Mini Cooper news and talk Podcast that now has over 50,000 downloads a month. Or Knit Cast… a podcast about… yep… knitting. Find the links to these podcasts and other hobby podcasts on my blog linked to from thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com.

So, the “why” of the people who started the podcasts I just talked about comes down to a love of a hobby that they felt passionate enough about to start a podcast about. Chances are, if you’ve got a hobby, someone else has that same hobby. If you think there should be a podcast that caters to you in a certain format or with a certain twist, then there are probably other folks that would love to hear it.

Now, let’s say you ARE podcasting about that hobby. You’ve told what you know about it, had some how to’s, maybe a friend or two came on that enjoy the same hobby, and talked about tools, instruments, or the methods of choice for carrying out this hobby. But… there are people out there performing this hobby to its full potential. PGA Tour Stars if golfing is your hobby, local restaurant chefs if you’re into cooking, the local hot dog eating champ if you’re a competitive eater… experts are out there for everything… and interviewing them can be a great way to set yourself, and your podcast, apart from others.

How do find them? My advice? Look local first. There are probably some newspaper staff writers, area speakers, or people employed at a local company who you could talk to. Maybe there is someone in your area that has made the news doing what you like to do… find them. If you’re looking for some more knowledge on your subject, University professors, book authors, and consultants are usually happy to help and like to spread their names around. As an example, if I had a podcast about jogging and wanted to interview people about a new pair of shoes that came out, I might:

talk to a shoe salesman that sells the shoes and ask him how sales are going

take the shoes to a shoe repair shop and ask the owner what he or she thinks of the construction

find a runner that has purchased the shoes (or run in them myself) to get a ‘hands on’ opinion

talk to a representative from the manufacturer and get the lowdown on who their target is and what the shoe was really built for

and lastly, I might find a writer for a running magazine or the sports section of a newspaper that focuses on gear for running or sports

When you do land the interview:

have your questions ready, and ask them in a logical manner, saving the tough ones for last

make sure your expert comes out in a positive light, unless of course you’re podcast is about the opposite of what they’re saying, this person is taking the time to talk to you, and you want to make sure this is good publicity for them

build on previous responses, though you have other questions ready, question and answer sessions are not as engaging as dialogue… divert from your script if needed to press further in on an answer

and use plain language, sometimes when interviewers are engaging an expert, they tend to start to speak above themselves or use terms to make them seem knowledgeable, make sure you… well… just be you.

So, back to my initial question that I started this whole thing with… what about portable podcasting equipment. I’ve now got my shoe salesman, repair guy, and runner on the hook for an interview… and I’m going out the door to record them. What do I have in my hand?

First I like the Marantz PMD660, for about $600 you get a great portable recorder. There is also a Sony-PCM-D1… awesome, but at over $1800… out of the price range. The leader of the pack up until recently has been the M-Audio MicroTrack. A great little recorder for $400 that does just about everything you want to do. The problem is, the Edirol R-09 from Roland came out at the same price as the microtrack, and has, in my opinion, better sound quality and features. I can’t do it justice just by talking about it, so you’ll have to head out to my blog that you can get to at thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com for more information on it. Again, if you’re thinking of going mobile with your audio podcast, check out the Roland Edirol R-09.

As always, if you have a podcast you’d like me to tell some folks about, or a question about why or how to podcast, contact me at thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com… there are links there to an email and voicemail box. I’m J.D. Frey… thanks for listening.

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I really enjoyed about podcast and information. I am considering purchasing the Edirol R-09 from Roland. Can I use this for all my recordings, instead of purchasing an additional mic? Will I be scaraficing quality of I used the Edirol exclusively?

What sofeware would you use to edit these files. I am on the PC platform.

You can use the Edirol for the recordings, yes. It has very good built in mics that are great for portable recording. They are not as good as expensive studio microphones, but a good first step. You’ll have to decide what quality you need based on your listeners. I also recommend starting out with software such as audacity to edit the sound files… but there are a lot of different programs out there.

Just an FYI… I think I might be trading in the Edirol R-09 for the Zoom H4 just because of the two phantom mic inputs on the Zoom. I want to take my microphones along to record with.

Great post and information, thank you. Do you know if there is a place to find podcasters? I have been looking for a directory of them just by name and genre without having to go through a whole directory. I just wonder if anyone has created one yet.

I don’t know of a podcastER directory. I looked around a bit today, and it seems there isn’t such a thing (not highly visible anyway). I guess finding the podcasts by genre and name in published directories, then trying to contact the makers of them might be the best route.

I know here in Houston I am part of a podcasters group that meets periodically and discusses podcasting… maybe someone should think about a website to organize these groups. Like… podcastersunite.com or something?

About Jeffrey Daniel Frey

Jeff is the Web Services Manager for Enterprise Applications in the Information Technology Department at Rice University. He provides technology solutions for faculty, staff, and students on campus as well as teaches new technology courses. He is involved in the creation of podcasts for businesses and non-profits, and is currently focusing on how new technologies can integrate and benefit universities and businesses alike. Jeff is available to speak or teach workshops on podcasting or other new internet technologies, and can consult with you on your company/non-profit. learn more about Jeff here>>----------- EMAIL JEFF -----------